Love and Tears
by Lady Asami
Summary: What could have and should have happened in my opinion. MitsukakeChichiri Minor spoilers. Well, okay. It's actually not that minor. It's based off of episode 47 out of 52.


Yeah um... I just _really_ like this pairing... BUT NO ONE ELSE DOES!!! AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY TOUCHED BY THE SCENE WHERE MITSUKAKE DIED??? -sigh- Ah well. I WILL SPREAD THE LOVE BY WRITING FICS!!! Even if they aren't very good... -sniff- With practice I shall get better!! ...I hope. Anyhoo, please read... Please.  
Oh yeah... This fic is based off of a dream I had last night. Oh hey! It's 1:00 AM!! Okay... I had the night before. Whatever. The dream really touched my heart, so I wrote a fic about it.

**Love and Tears**

"Nuriko… Chiriko… I wasn't able to save them…! Mitsukake could not forget how he failed to save the two warriors. _…Chiriko was so young! How could I have let them die like that! If only I had-_

"That's not true no da! Chichiri refused to let him die like this. "None of us could have!" He wrapped his arms around Mitsukake, and held him tight, afraid that if he let go, he'd lose Mitsukake forever. "It was nobody's fault no da! Stop this Mitsukake!" Chichiri stood up, took off his mask and pressed his lips against Mitsukake's, giving him his life force. Mitsukake had already started giving his away, but if Chichiri could just lend him enough life force to both revive the villagers, and keep Mitsukake alive, than that would be good enough for Chichiri.

It didn't take very long for Chichiri to give up three fourths of his life force to Mitsukake, then collapse in Mitsukake's arms.

"Chichiri! Why did you-" _It's good to be alive... but not at the expense of a friend's life!  
_  
"Mitsukake… Are you alright no da?" He was exhausted. He only had a quarter of his life force left, and it was hard to speak. Still… he had to know if Mitsukake was okay.

"Chichiri, why did you do that!" He couldn't stand the thought of someone else dying because of him. "I was ready to die-"

"For Shouka, right? Chichiri knew that he still loved Shouka. After all, it had only been a short while since he had to say good-bye to her. He knew, but…

"…Yeah. I couldn't stand the thought of her dying again because I failed to help her!" It still hurt Mitsukake to think about his true love. "But now you-. You didn't have to do this Chichiri! Why! Why would you risk your life to save me?" He knew the thought of a third death would be painful for Chichiri, but Mitsukake didn't want to go through it either.

"Because I love you, Mitsukake." Chichiri felt like even more of his life force was leaving him. He was getting weaker by the second. He wished Mitsukake still had his healing power, but he'd be far too weak to use it without hurting himself. It was better this way.

Mitsukake was shocked. He didn't know what to say. _Chichiri loves me?_ _But didn't he once have a fiancé that he loved very much? Doesn't he miss her?__I could never be with someone other than Shouka._ _How is it that Chichiri could even think about being with someone else?_ "What of your fiancé?

Chichiri closed his right eye. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep. "Six years have passes since I lost her to the flood. I cannot grieve for her forever no da." Even as he said this, he felt the guilt for killing his best friend six years ago in that very same flood.

A little further away, they overheard revived soldiers screaming at one another.

Shouka's mother held her child close to her. She watched the two seishi talk about their loves. The older looking man had said something about her daughter dying again. What had he meant by that?

"Someone stop those men from fighting in this area! I will not tolerate them upsetting my patients!" Mitsukake was surprised that he could yell like that. _I guess it's because of Chichiri's life force. Chichiri… How could Chichiri love me?  
_  
A few uninjured men ran to the soldiers and began shouting at them fiercely. They had been emotionally touched at what had just happened between the two men, and no one should fight around the sick and dying!

_Even if it had been six years, I can't see how Chichiri could love another. I would never forget about Shouka!_

"I still miss her, and I would be so happy if only I could hold her in my arms again. But she is gone, and I hate to live life in the present now. Not in the past. I will never forget her, but I have to move on." He wasn't trying to make Mitsukake move on from Shouka and love Chichiri, but he didn't want Mitsukake to see him as the kind of person that doesn't grieve for his love, and just finds another. He truly loved Mitsukake, and he wanted him to know it.

Mitsukake looked at the young Shouka in front of him and felt tears in his eyes. He knew that he could never have Shouka again, and that this was just a baby, whose name was that of his love. But he could not move on as Chichiri had. _Chichiri was given six years to heal. For me, it's been mere months since I last saw my dear Shouka, and had to free her from the demon. I still miss her so much!_

"I'm not trying to convince you to forget Shouka. No, you should go on remembering her no da. But don't think sad thoughts as you remember her. Chichiri weakly raised his hand and gently wiped away a single tear that had escaped Mitsukake's eye from his face, and let his arm fall. Remember the good times you had together and be happy when you think of her. She would have liked that no da."

Mitsukake couldn't hold it in. Hearing Chichiri talk about his late wife like this was making him feel emotional. He felt like he just lost her again.

"It's okay to cry no da. You loved her and miss her very much. No one's telling you that you can never cry. Just don't be sad every time you think about her. She was a good person, with a good heart. You can smile when you think about her no da." He felt so weak. He was talking so much. He didn't feel like he had any energy left. He needed to rest. But Mitsukake needed him now, and he would be there for him.

Tears streamed down Mitsukake's face, and he wrapped his arms around Chichiri and held him close.

Tama put his paws on Mitsukake's knee, and meowed at him sadly.

"I miss her so much! I feel like I lost her just yesterday! I can still feel the warmth of her body as I held her in my arms!" Mitsukake knew that he shouldn't be saying this to Chichiri right after he confessed his love for him, but he had to talk about her. He held Chichiri for comfort, but he found he was enjoying the warmth of Chichiri's body in his arms. _No! I shouldn't be thinking that! I love Shouka, and I won't betray her!_

"I know it hurts, Mitsukake. And it will for a while no da. You can't expect the pain to go away so quickly. It's okay to lean on your friends for comfort when you're hurt. You don't have to take it alone no da." Every word that came of Chichiri's mouth seemed to weaken him further. He wished he could sleep, but he had to help Mitsukake. And if he needed to, he'd die for him.

"Chichiri… Even though you are in love with me, you comfort me about my late love, and tell me I don't have to forget her…" Mitsukake couldn't understand why Chichiri would do this for him. _Shouldn't he be jealous of Shouka? Wouldn't he by trying to make me forget her?_ Mitsukake looked down at Chichiri's face. He looked so peaceful and sweet. His face was so beautiful, he wondered why he thought he had to wear that mask all the time. _What am I thinking? Shouka! She's the one I love! …Chichiri said I can't grieve forever… But…_ Mitsukake held Chichiri close to him again, and found that he really did enjoy the feeling of Chichiri's body against his.

"It's because I love you that I tell you this… I want you to be happy. I can't bear to watch you be in so much pain no da." His voice weakened with his last sentence. He couldn't stay conscious for much longer.

"Chichiri… I-I love you too." Mitsukake held Chichiri, and leaned down to kiss him. It wasn't a deep kiss, but it was full of love and passion, and Mitsukake never wanted it to end. And it was in that moment that Chichiri's body lost all life. Mitsukake held him and felt as his body went cold. Tears streamed down Mitsukake's face. Chichiri had died in his arms.

**End**

Please please please pleeeeeease review. Unless you want to flame. Then please refrain. Constructive criticism is awesome!! But flaming is pointless. And it's rude. So don't. And if you _actually_ thought that it was pretty okay, please tell me. I need to know. And if you thought it totally sucked, and know how to say so with some nice criticism, then please do. I need help. Desperately.


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